Bethany Beach has been an idyllic beach escape on Delaware’s Eastern Shore since 1901, with its famous boardwalk, charming shops and attractions and a quaintness that echoes its founders’ charter as “a haven of rest for quiet people." In recent years, a surge in tourism created the need for more hotel rooms, but with designs that met the town’s goals for charming facades that blend seamlessly with the seaside environment. To meet this need, Marriott Hotels proposed a unique version of its Residence Inn brand – Bethany Beach Ocean Suites, a resort hotel with the same quaintness and cottage comfort that the shore town is known for.

An oceanfront property with 100 rooms in a residential area attracted Blue Water Development to the Drifting Sands Motel in Ship Bottom, New Jersey, on Long Beach Island.
“It was a great opportunity and we are excited about it,” said Todd Burbage, owner of Blue Water Development along with his father, Jack. “It’s fairly new and its latest renovations were in 2006. It’s a great property and an entire city block directly oceanfront.”

Jack Burbage, Blue Water Development President and Founder, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 Ocean City Chamber Annual Awards Celebration on September 12.
The award is defined by the OC Chamber as recognizing an individual for a lifetime of consistent community leadership and philanthropic endeavors that have made a lasting impact on their community. “Community support and philanthropy are at the root of my father’s identity,” said Todd Burbage, Jack’s son and co-owner of Blue Water. “Whether it’s choosing local contractors and materials for each project, or volunteering for numerous boards and fundraisers, he has always put his community first. We are all immensely proud of him and for the example he has set for his children and grandchildren.”